Connection
by Chanteru
Summary: All she wanted was a connection - someone to make her feel human again. She made a choice to take a chance and make a change. Little did she know, a certain red-head would provide the sort of company she craved. ReTi (RenoxTifa)
1. The Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters contained in this story.

**"Prologue"**

It was a gloomy evening in Costa del Sol.

Despite the smooth, white sand and glittery waves of the beach, those were things that could only be enjoyed during the daytime.

So, what was left for those who sought entertainment during the hours after dusk?

After all, not everyone can function as an early bird.

For the night owls who lived in Costa del Sol, the clamor and warmth of the "Seventh Heaven" provided them with the perfect escape from the daily struggles of ordinary life.

Of course, I know what you're thinking.

'Wasn't there a "Seventh Heaven" in Midgar? In the slums of Sector 7?'

Yes, you would be right about that.

Once upon a time, before Sector 7 was demolished with the quick push of a button, there was a bar called "Seventh Heaven."

It was the home of AVALANCHE and its owner was the friendly neighborhood bartender.

After the events of Edge, Tifa had decided that a change of scenery would be nice. She no longer wanted to muse on the events long past.

Whenever she thought of "home," she felt an overwhelming sense of pain, suffering, and sadness.

Whether it was her hometown Nibelheim or her temporary residence at Midgar, both were wrought with destruction and a tragic fate.

Tifa felt alone in the world. Sure, she had her fellow comrades whom helped her to save the world, time and time again.

To a certain extent, she felt that she and Cloud were the only two in their group that were truly alone in their circumstances.

Both were without a true home or family to go to.

But Cloud had become increasingly distant over the years. He was still feeling the loss of Aeris, and in a sense, a loss of himself.

The Lifestream might have shed light on many details regarding his true identity, but he still struggled in figuring out who he was.

So, Cloud being who he is, retreated into his shell and took off in search of himself. It helps to look inward and self-reflect – Tifa completely understood this.

But this caused a rift in their relationship. She couldn't rely on him or confide him when her loneliness was settling in and getting the best of her.

Tifa decided that she wasn't going to wait for her knight in shining armor anymore. She wasn't a damsel in distress that needed saving.

She had proved this many times throughout her adventure with the gang.

But she was currently in that space of being self-reliant, but seeking comfort and solace from another.

Would she find it in Costa del Sol? Only time would tell.

Or perhaps a fellow lonely night owl who would enter her bar this evening...

Author Notes: And there you have it - the set up for our lovely story. I haven't written a story in over a decade, so this is going to be quite the process.

I find it a little difficult thinking of the words I want to use and how to express my ideas creatively, but I'm hoping that I'll improve with more time...


	2. A Gil for Your Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, nor any of it's characters. And I never will. :(

**"A Gil for Your Thoughts"**

It felt like another one of those nights at the "Seventh Heaven."

Relatively quiet, the regulars came in and ordered their usual drinks and engaged in their routine banter.

'Man, what am I complaining about? At least no one is at each other's necks tonight…'

Tifa should have felt grateful that there weren't any fights disrupting the chill atmosphere.

She really disliked having to intervene and break up fights between a bunch of drunkards, but being the sole owner of the bar without any hired hands, it was only natural for her to assume that role whenever necessary.

Not that she had any issues with doing so. With her martial arts skills and quick reflexes, she was quite adept at it.

Sometimes she wondered if she should've just applied for a job as a security guard.

She moved to Costa del Sol roughly 6 months ago and only recently open up the bar. The process didn't take very long, fortunately, so she was able to live off of her savings for the first few months and focus on settling in her new home.

She enjoyed living in Costa del Sol. What was there to dislike about it, really?

Her neighbors were quite friendly, the beach was practically in her backyard, and best of all, she felt like she could start a new life here.

There's nothing better than having the chance to hit "restart" and starting anew.

Except she wasn't really able to meet anyone of particular interest yet. Or at least, no one that she felt she could relate to.

'I guess that's not really fair to say,' she thought to herself. 'Confronting Shinra, saving the planet from Sephiroth and Meteor… Maybe I'm the oddball around here!' She sighed deeply.

It's an understatement that she's had some unique experiences that most people wouldn't even be able to imagine.

She rested her chin in her hands as she leaned on the counter. Three customers left and another thirty minutes until closing time.

She sighed in exasperation. She couldn't wait until the shift was over and she could head home.

It had been a long week and she was looking forward to having the bar closed tomorrow so she could just relax and clock in some much needed "me time."

'I guess I could always change the bar hours, but I don't want to confuse customers and lose business… I just opened up a month ago, after all!'

Perhaps it was the laidback pace of life in Costa del Sol that had her feeling so restless.

Suddenly, she heard a chime signal that the bar had a visitor.

The newcomer wore a navy suit and had hair a hue of red that could be described as spikey flames.

Some of his hair was pushed back by a pair of black goggles, but some of his bangs managed to escape and perfectly framed his face while slightly brushing up against a pair of red scars marked on his cheeks.

"Yo." He cooly greeted as he headed over to the bar to sit on a stool.

'I've heard that voice before…' She quickly scanned him and when her eyes met his, she recognized him right away.

"Reno…?" She couldn't really hide the look of shock on her face. The last time she had seen him was during the battle with Sephiroth and company at Edge.

He winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. "The one and only!"

She smiled slightly at his gesture. "What are you doing here in Costa del Sol? Do you have a mission here?"

To be honest, she was curious if the Turks were still intact and working. Did they disband much like AVALANCHE had after their mission to save the planet had been accomplished?

"Not exactly…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm kind of on a… vacation."

"Is that so?" Something about his tone told her that there was much more to the story than that, but she wasn't so sure if she should pry.

He looked slightly uncomfortable as it was.

"Thank you, Miss Lockhart. Cheers!"

Her last customer announced his departure from the bar and left her with a reasonable tip on the counter.

Now it was just the two of them in the bar, about fifteen minutes until closing time.

Tifa decided to pry just a little bit, figuring it wouldn't hurt. Plus, she was craving some conversation.

"So how long is this vacation of yours?"

"Uhhhh, well, y'know, it's a bit undecided at the moment, so… Just going with the flow, yo!"

He replied while darting his eyes towards the corner of the room, not looking at anything in particular.

This caused Tifa to raise one of her eyebrows. 'Yeah, that doesn't sound suspicious at all…'

"Anyways," he interjected before she had a chance to comment or question him any further, "Would you mind getting me a drink? I could go for a whiskey – on the rocks."

She noticed his reluctance to continue with the previous topic, so she just let it go for now and got to his drink. She swiftly prepared it and handed it over to him. He grabbed the drink graciously and lifted it to his lips. "Ahh! Just what I needed!"

She tried to stifle a laugh at his reaction to the drink. 'Sounds like someone enjoys his alcohol. I bet he can handle his liquor just fine, too.'

He looked over at the brown-haired bartender. "Y'know Lockheart, I didn't realize that you were shacking up in Costa del Sol. Since when?" he asked.

She found his use of the word "shacking' amusing. "Just what do you mean by 'shacking up?'" she asked him quizzically.

"Well, y'know, aren't you living here with that Chocobo-head?" he answered.

Tifa let out a hearty laugh. "'Chocobo-head?' That's a good one!" She tried to hold back her laughter so she could clarify some things.

"So, firstly, no. I'm not 'shacking up' with anyone, not even Cloud." He looked at her with honest confusion and took another swig of his drink.

"And secondly, the next time I speak to Cloud, I've got to start calling him 'Chocobo-head.' He'll love it!" she replied, truly amused by Cloud new nickname.

Of course, Cloud has had many nicknames over the years, both lovingly and distastefully invented. ('Spikey-haired ass' wasn't among his personal favorites, Tifa was certain of that.)

"Well, I gotta say Lockhart, I'm shocked. Like beyond shocked!" Reno attempted to emphasize his shock by widening his eyes and mouth while saying the word "shocked."

Upon hearing this, Tifa started to feel a bit self-conscious of her living situation.

Was it really that natural to assume that she and Cloud would be living together after everything that had happened?

She casted her eyes downward onto the counter, attempting to avoid Reno's confused stare.

"Things happen. A lot has happened, actually. And people handle things and process them differently, that's all."

She tried to keep her response as nonchalant and vague as possible to avoid delving into further details and, possibly, triggering an emotional reaction out of her.

Reno, however, didn't look satisfied with her answer. He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, clearly showing his dissatisfaction. "Yeaaaaah, you're gonna have to do better than that, Lockhart."

Tifa groaned inwardly, not wanting to speak any further about it.

After all, just why was Reno so curious about her relationship with Cloud in the first place?

Once upon a time, they used to be enemies. Although they fought on the same side more recently, they weren't exactly the "best of friends."

Heck, one could argue that they were barely even acquaintances.

Reno could sense her reluctance, but he was ever-so-determined to get her to open up about it.

"Aww, c'mon, Lockhart! Don't be like that. How about this?" Reno reached into his back pocket and grabbed his wallet. He took out 1 gil and playfully waved the coin in front of his face.

Now it was her turn to cross her arms and look at him strangely. "Are you trying to bribe it out of me? Is this how the Turks obtain all of their information?" A slight smirk appeared on her face at her last comment.

"Hah-hah, hilarious…" He pouted a bit, which caused her to giggle. "You don't wanna know what kinds of techniques and strategies us Turks resort to for information…"

"Oh, I see now! Is that a threat from Mr. Reno of the Turks?" she interjected amusedly.

"No… it's a promise." He said in a mockingly dark tone. "Anyways, let's flip on it. If it lands on 'heads,' then you don't have to tell me nothing and I'll just mind my own business…"

He pretended to sound disappointed and threw on a pouty face for extra effect.

"Buuuuut," he proceeded animatedly, "if it lands on 'tails,' then you gotta cough up the deets on you and Chocobo-head!"

Tifa smirked. "Alright, you're on." Although she was initially reluctant to share such details with Reno, she became invested in this little game that they were playing and couldn't care less about the outcome.

It was already closing time for the bar, but she didn't mind the distraction.

They were both night owls, and the night was still young.

But most importantly, she felt a connection.

Author Notes: And that's it for the first chapter! Honestly, I don't have a real plot or anything set up yet. I'm pretty much writing as I go with the flow and trying to capture their chemistry and establish that first. I hope you enjoy this roller coaster of a fanfic! xD


	3. The Night is Still Young

Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, nor any of it's characters. Sorry to disappoint. :p

Author Notes: I hope that the formatting is much better in this chapter. I tried changing the formatting for the previous two chapters. It's awkward having the story written line by line like that. It looks differently from my view on MS Word, I swear! So, I tried to write in a paragraph style this time around. I hope it is to your liking!

**"The Night is Still Young"**

"Alright, here it goes!" The red-headed Turk flipped the 1 gil coin. Time seemed to temporarily move slowly as they both waited anxiously to see the outcome of the flip. A land of "heads" and she could keep quiet about her personal affairs. A land of "tails" and she'd have to leave herself vulnerable.

Tifa bit her bottom lip slightly at the thought of admitting to Reno that her relationship with Cloud was far from the idealized sunshine and rainbows that many would have expected. Although she shouldn't have cared much for his opinion on the matter – I mean, they were barely acquaintances, let alone friends – she found herself feeling a bit embarrassed about the ordeal and how concerned and invested he seemed to be about finding out more about such intimate details about her life.

The coin continued to spin briefly before finally landing on the bar counter. Upon seeing the face of the coin, Tifa breathed out a sigh of relief. 'Oh thank Shiva,' the brunette thought to herself. The coin landed on "heads." Reno was disappointed to say the least.

"Oh, c'mon!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "How about this, Lockhart – best two out of three," Reno offered, clearly not wanting to waste this opportunity. Tifa furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation. 'So, he has a taste for liquor, and now a bit of a gambler, huh?' He really did pique her interest, so she agreed to continue with this little game of chance.

She nodded in agreement while grabbing the coin. "Alright, but this time, I'll be doing the flipping." There was a playful glint in his eyes. "Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!" He waited for her to do the honors for the second round.

Tifa carefully flipped the coin, silently praying that luck would be on her side and it would yet again land on "heads." They both anxiously waited for the coin to land and peered at the counter intently for the outcome. It was "tails."

"Oh, ho ho! There may be a chance that I win this one, Lockhart…" Reno grinned. "Would you like to do the honors on the last round?" She wasn't too sure what would be best. She thought about the fairest way to decide who would flip the coin next. 'We could always do "Rock-Paper-Scissors." That always seemed to work in my middle school days.'

She felt a little silly to suggest it for fear of coming off a bit childish, but what the heck, it was already past 3am and she knew that it was a tried-and-true method. "How about we play 'Rock-Paper-Scissors?' The winner gets to flip for the last round." He chuckled as his eyes closed playfully. "Wow, we're going down that route, Lockhart? I haven't played "Rock-Paper-Scissors" in ages, but from what I remember… I was the reigning champion in my school days." He took a moment to flash her a quick smile and wink. She giggled in response. "Yeah, yeah, let's just play already."

"Okay… Rock-Paper-Scissors, one-two-three!" They both outstretched their arms and revealed their moves. Tifa chose paper, Reno chose rock. "Aww, man. Rematch!" She scoffed. "Hey, I won fair and square. That's just the nature of the game, Reno." she replied as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be a sore loser!" He quietly grumbled to himself, annoyed that he had talked a big game and ended up losing.

"Alright, I'll flip the coin now…" Tifa reached out to grab the coin, but was surprised to see Reno's hand covered hers swiftly. She took a quick inhale and her heart fluttered for a second. 'What am I getting so anxious about?' she mused. Was it his touch? Well, if anyone were to suddenly touch your hand, you'd feel a similar sensation…right?

He looked up at her, making sure to lock eyes before stating, "May the odds be ever in your favor." She had to stifle a laugh at his silly comment. A small smile was placed on her lips as she proceeded to grab the coin and flip it.

For a few moments, time stood still. They both intently waited and saw that the coin had landed on…

"… 'tails.'" Tifa inwardly groaned. So much for the odds being in her favor. It was almost as if his good luck statement jinxed the whole process. Reno noticed her change in mood and took the opportunity to cheer her up. He playfully mocked her by saying the same exact thing she had told him previously.

"Hey Lockhart, that's just the nature of the game. Don't be a…" he briefly paused to smirk at her. "… sore loser." He finished his statement followed by a wink and a not-so-appreciated-by-Tifa sticking out of his tongue.

That's right. It was fair and square. They use a coin flip and even played "Rock-Paper-Scissors," so she really couldn't get upset at him or the turn of events. Actually, she found the situation to be a bit humorous overall. She was just contemplating on what she would tell him next. That Cloud was a jerk for leaving her behind to focus on his own selfish needs and resolve his identity crisis? That he wanted to find happiness and meaning in life without her by his side? That she never really had the chance to tell Cloud how she really felt about him?

Although she was certain that he should have known at this point in their lives, especially after all that they had been through together. After all, words weren't the only way you could tell someone how you feel…

"Alright Lockhart, lay it on me." Reno's voice interrupted her thoughts. "What went down with you and Chocobo-head?" He leaned back a bit on the bar stool, one leg crossed over the other, both of his hands cradling the back of his head in a relaxed position. He seemed genuinely curious as he continued to stare at her eyes, waiting for a response.

'So green and… mesmerizing. Just like his eyes.' Tifa felt like she was caught up in a trance, absorbed by the color and glint of his eyes. It was almost as if they were glowing and filled with materia. 'Or maybe they are mako-infused?' She started to get caught up in her thoughts again.

Reno noticed her staring back into his eyes intently. He had to admit, he felt like he could get a little lost in her eyes, too. They were a chocolatey brown color, and if you looked closely enough, you could see a reddish hue, almost like a ruby.

He felt a bit sheepish and did a faux cough, trying to cover the slight blush that was forming on his cheeks. 'I wonder if she even realizes how zoned out she is…' he wondered to himself. He waved a hand in front of her face. "Heeeeey. Gaia to Lockhart. Do you read me? Over." She was knocked out of her trance-like state once again. 'That seemed to do the trick…'

"Oh, sorry about that, Reno… I think this week has drained the heck out of me. It's been a long one…" she trailed off, looking downward and off to the side, her right hand playing with a bit of her hair. "Hey now, are you trying to get off the hook on your end of the deal?" He wasn't going to let her get away that easily. She gave him a weak smile and laughed nervously. "No, of course not…"

"Hmph. If you say so…" he replied. He started to consider that perhaps she was feeling tired and found it difficult to focus. It was getting close to 3:30 in the morning at this point. 'And she did say it's been a long week…' He decided to cut her some slack. "Alright, Lockhart. I'll let you go this time, but this continues tomorrow! And I don't want to hear any excuses, alright?" he said playfully while wagging his finger at her.

She giggled at his gesture. She responded with a gesture of her own, raising her right hand to salute him. "Roger that, Captain Reno." She seemed to relax more in his company. He was silently grateful for that. He wasn't too sure how she would respond upon first seeing him set foot inside the bar. After all, she had plenty of reasons not to be particularly fond of him. 'Heck, I wouldn't be fond of myself either.' he thought to himself, begrudgingly.

"Do you need any help with closing up shop?" he offered, if only to prolong the time that he could spend with her. She cocked her head to the side to think about it. "As a matter of fact, that would be great. Could you flip the chairs onto the tables over there?" She motioned towards the four tables positioned on the right side of the bar. "You got it, Boss!" he saluted to her and went off to the task at hand.

As Tifa cleaned the counters and washed the glasses, Reno stacked the chairs neatly onto the tables. It was a decent-sized bar, probably roughly the same size as the former "Seventh Heaven" in Midgar. He was curious to know how she felt about the new place and how it compared, but just as soon as the thought had crossed his mind, he realized that it might be a touchy subject to bring up.

'Maybe not the best way to break the ice. It's my fault that she doesn't have that bar anymore…' he casted his eyes downward and took a quick glance at his electro-mag rod. Sometimes he questioned his past actions as a Turk. In no way was it a glorious and selfless job. There were several missions that he had been assigned to that the ordinary person would probably turn away. But being a Turk, you couldn't always afford to have a moral compass. Was it okay to kill people? Some would argue that it's never okay, under any circumstances. But within his line of work, it was just a reality that one had to accept.

'It's all in a day's work, as they say. But that day…' his began to recall the events at Sector 7 while being on top of that tower. AVALANCHE had tried to change the tides and the fate of Sector 7 that day. They nearly had a fighting chance to stop him. But luck was not on their side. And he was responsible for pushing the button that detonated the bomb, destroying the place that Tifa and hundreds of others had once called 'home.' He was proud of many of his accomplishments on the line of duty. But that case, in particular, was not one of them.

He looked over at Tifa to see that she had just finished cleaning up. She stretched her arms over her head and then tried to cover a yawn that escaped from her mouth. "Man, you really are tired, huh?" She looked over at him, her face looked tired, but she had a faint smile on her lips. "Yeah, you could say that. About tomorrow, I usually close up the bar on Sundays." She shot him an apologetic smile.

"Oh really? What a bummer. What will the drunkards do without getting their daily fix?" he said in a mockingly disappointed tone. But actually, he was a bit disappointed. He was looking forward to continuing his conversation with the brunette tomorrow. Not specifically to find out about her and Cloud's relationship, or seemingly the lack thereof, but just to be in her company. She was a lot more fun to chat with then he had expected.

She rested her chin in her hands and appeared to be in thought. "Hmm. Well, how about we meet up elsewhere? Maybe I can show you around and play "tour guide" for the day." He had to admit, he was tempted to take her up on her offer. But how would it look for a Turk to be walking around in the middle of the day in Costa del Sol? He brushed his hair back as he weighed out his options. Either he could spend more time with the attractive brunette or miss out on the fabulous opportunity. It seemed like a no brainer, really. There was something about her that intrigued him.

"You got yourself a deal, Lockhart." He flashed her a smile and gave her a thumbs up. "For the time being, I'm staying at the inn near the town entrance. Meet up there around 2 o'clock?" he suggested. Hopefully that would give her enough time to sleep in. For him, as well. As much as he sought Tifa's company, he didn't want to wake up at the crack of dawn to go on a Costa del Sol sightseeing adventure. She nodded in agreement. "Sure, that works for me. Just don't be late!"

"I won't, I won't." he waved his hand in defense and turned around to head out the door.

Tomorrow would be an eventful day, that was for certain.

Author Notes: I'm still going with the flow for this one. I'm hoping that the story will guide me in the right direction and a clear plot will come through – perhaps it will be divine inspiration. But actually, I'd like to start using "Song-spiration" and write chapters based off of songs that I think fit the characters and situations. So, I may begin with that process with the next chapter. It won't be a song fic, per se, just a chapter with events inspired from a song. I'm not too keen on inserting song lyrics in between the story. ^_^;


	4. Red

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, nor any of it's characters. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. :(

Author Notes: This "song-spiration" for this chapter is the song "Red" by YOSA & TAAR feat. eill. Please check it out on Spotify. To set the tone of this chapter, you should listen to it at the start and end, perhaps. ^_^

**"Red"**

_Her hands stroked his tousled red hair, her fingers gently combing through the soft strands. The back of his hair was still tied up in a ponytail. She allowed her fingers to stroke through its length. Her eyes were mesmerized by the vibrant color of his tresses. She used both of her hands to grab the pair of goggles on his head and lifted it back and off his head, letting his hair flow and roam free from the usual constraints. _

_He had a slight grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. He placed his right hand on the side of her face, then tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Though his eyes were half-closed, he looked at her intently with a smoldering and seductive look. She felt as if she was getting lost in the pools of his greenish-blue orbs. His hand grasped her chin and slowly tilted her head up towards his head, his face mere inches away from hers. She leaned in and closed her eyes…_

_~KWEH KWEH - KWEH KWEH~_

'_Kweh… huh?' Confused by the sound, she opened her eyes to discover the source. A yellow chocobo was happily staring at her, it's huge eyes almost teasing her for having such a fantasy in the first place. Suddenly, it opened its beak wide and created a large black void similar to demi that swallowed her in-_

_~WAAAAAAAARK!~_

Tifa jolted awake, her heart racing as she panted and gasped for air. _'What in Gaia did I just dream about…?!'_ She noticed that her PHS alarm was going off. She nearly forgot that it was set on the chocobo ringtone, which featured a series of cute and soft 'kweh' noises, followed by loud 'warks.'

She grabbed her PHS from the side table next to the bed and turned off the alarm. She tried to recall details about her dream before seeing the strange chocobo bit. _'Who was that guy in my dream…?'_ Then she remembered he had red hair. Just like…

"Oh my Shiva, did I just dream about Reno?!"

Author Notes: So, our lovely Tifa had a dream last night about a certain red-headed Turk. How interesting! Oh-ho-ho-ho! ^0^


	5. Crazy

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Final Fantasy VII, nor any of it's characters. Sorry! :p

Author Notes: This chapter's "song-spiration" is brought to you by Taichi Mukai's "Crazy." Such a great song. Please check it out! ;D

"Crazy"

Tifa strolled down the street towards the inn that Reno was staying at. She found it rather quickly as it was boldly labeled "Inn," as if claiming the rights to be the sole inn of the island. It was a quaint home that was well-suited as a summer shack. She scanned the area and saw a bar located nearby. _'Go figure that he'd choose the inn closest to a bar…' _she thought to herself with humor.

She continued scanning the area. The red-headed Turk was missing. She looked at her PHS for the time. _'Five minutes to 2 o'clock. I'm a bit early.'_ She noticed that there was a vendor with a table set up outside of the entrance. She walked over to the table. Upon closer inspection, it was a mini-bar equipped to serve drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). The bartender noticed her gaze and greeted her warmly.

"Greetings, Miss! Would you care for a cocktail to quench your thirst and beat the heat?" he asked her adorned with a crinkle in his eyes and a pleasant smile. He had spiky auburn hair, tanned skin, and beautiful dark blue eyes. He wore a light blue, short sleeve button up adorned with a small black bow. He was quite attractive. She smiled back at him. "Sure, what's on the menu?" It wasn't beneath her to enjoy an early afternoon cocktail. After all, it's happy hour somewhere.

He handed her the menu. "Here you are." Tifa skimmed the menu to find the cocktail section. The names of the drinks were island and beach themed. 'Cocktail De-Light,' 'Costa de Screwdriver,' 'Tropic Thundara,' 'Costa de Mama…' Some other drinks paid homage to a city, like the 'Midgar Mojito,' 'Cosmo Colada,' and 'Wutai Sunrise.' Honestly, the drinks sounded so unique that she was unable to wrap her head around what was in each of them and how they would taste.

"What would you recommend?" she asked curiously. The bartender looked at her with some thought. "Well… It depends on what you're looking to add to your life. A little sugar, a little spice…" he replied while winking at her playfully. She blushed at his response.

Usually, she wouldn't even bat an eyelash at someone flirting with her - Shiva knows how well she would shut down the knuckleheads at the bar. She didn't appreciate their constant advances.

But this guy seemed to be around her age, plus she had to admit that he was pretty good-looking. He was far different from her typical customers whom were either too immature, too arrogant, or old enough to be her father. She was surprised that she hadn't run into him beforehand, given that Costa del Sol wasn't a particularly large town. And she would've definitely remembered seeing someone like him around.

She smiled at him shyly and replied, "Well, I wouldn't mind adding a little spice in my life, now that you-"

"So, why not order a 'Sex on the Beach?' That's as spicy as it gets." a familiar male voice behind her said.

Tifa quickly turned around to find the owner of the voice, her eyes widening once she realized that it was none other than Reno. Her face turned beat red like a tomato. _'Oh geez, why did he have to go and say something like that?'_ She glanced back at the bartender and noticed that he had an annoyed expression on his face. Clearly Reno's interjection had ruined his fun flirt session with Tifa.

Tifa felt embarrassed to be in the middle of it. The two men glared at each other, Reno's green eyes meeting the bartender's blue eyes. Tifa swore she could see electric shocks zapping between them. One could say that the tension could be cut with a knife. _'Well, this can't go on forever… right?'_ After a few more moments of their silent showdown, Tifa awkwardly coughed, effectively breaking the sound barrier.

Reno, not wanting to be the first to break off eye contact, calmly spoke to Tifa while continuing his death glare at the bartender. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be my tour guide today?" he asked her.

"Ah, yes! That's right! We should get going…" she responded, shooting the bartender an apologetic look.

Reno grinned widely, playfully placing his hands on her shoulders, knowing fully well that this would further displease the man in front of him. "Alright, let's go, yo!" The bartender looked a little disappointed, but smiled softly at Tifa. "Take care, Miss. Be sure to come back for that drink. It'll be on the house." He winked at her and waved goodbye. Tifa blushed and quietly thanked him.

_'I was kinda having fun chatting with him…'_ she thought to herself. _'Maybe I'll take him up on that offer another time.'_ She mentally resolved that it wouldn't be the last time that she would see the tanned bartender.

They both walked away from the bartender's table, but once they were a few feet away, Reno turned around and stuck his tongue out at the bartender and flashed a peace sign at him. This didn't go unnoticed by Tifa however, and she lightly punched Reno's arm.

The bartender sighed with a pout on his face. All he could do was watch as they walked away together.

"So Lockhart, what's the first place on this epic adventure we're about to embark on?" the red-headed Turk asked while following her.

In all honesty, he was very curious to see where she would take him. He always thought the small coastal town was rather… well, small. For all he knew, there wasn't much else to see and do. There was the inn, the bar, and the beach.

Tifa looked back at him sheepishly. "Well, y'know, there isn't a whooooole lot to do here, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve…" She said to him, intentionally keeping her tone mysterious. It sounded alluring enough to him. "Alright Lockhart, I'll take the bait." he responded. "I'm sure I won't be too disappointed if you play your cards right." he said in a seductive tone while winking at her. This caused her to blush a little. He chuckled, thoroughly enjoying her reaction.

After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a very tall building, or at least relatively tall when compared to the other buildings in town. It looked to be about five floors high. _'Costa Sports Center… What are we doing here exactly?'_ he thought to himself. "C'mon, let's go in!" she motioned for him to enter the building, clearly excited about whatever she had planned out. Meanwhile, he was clearly confused.

Upon entering the building, he could see large double doors that led to a gymnasium with a basketball court. _'Are we going to play basketball…?'_ He secretly hoped that they wouldn't. Let's just say that he didn't necessarily have much time to practice basketball in between Turk missions. Nothing would pain his ego more than to perform sub-par in front of the long-haired brunette.

"No, silly. You probably suck at it anyways. I'd totally own you." She giggled while sticking her tongue at him, stealing his signature look. Just how did she manage to figure that out? "Well, maybe if I didn't have to chase you and your friends around all the time, I would've had more skills in that department." he said while crossing his arms and looking off to the side.

"Although…" he paused to sneak a mischievous glance at her. "I wouldn't mind getting 'owned' by you. Never would've took you for an 'M," but it's not too surprising, come to think of it." He closed his eyes and held his chin in his right hand, pretending to be in deep thought. "I guess I played my cards right in the end after all." He smirked at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Her eyes widened and she let out a short gasp. "Oh, h-hush you! I d-didn't even mean it that way…!" she managed to stammer out, blushing profusely. It was now her turn to cross her arms. She pouted and looked off to the side, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with the red-head. This caused him to chuckle again, much to her disappointment. He was finding her reactions more and more entertaining by the minute.

"Well, no worries, Lockhart. Your secret is safe with me!" he exclaimed joyfully, placing his index finger over his lips and winking at her. She audibly groaned at his response. "Anyways! We're not here to play basketball. Follow me..." She turned away from him and headed towards the elevator. He joined her and watched as she pushed the button for the 3rd floor.

The elevator had stopped once it had reached the 3rd floor. As the elevator doors opened, Reno's eyes widened at the sight before him. There was a very tall and winding obstacle course full of ropes going every which way along with some bridges made out of wooden planks.

Reno was usually a man of many opinions and witty comments. But at this moment, only one thought was at the forefront of his mind.

'_Oh shit.' _

Author Notes: So, how was that? I decided that it would be fun for the two of them to have fun in a little obstacle course activity. Doesn't sound like Reno is too happy about it though. Perhaps he's not confident in his ability to flex some "ninja warrior" type skills. xD


End file.
